I-15 set for lane closures Tuesday morning

Motorists heading to the High Desert from Las Vegas can expect delays on Tuesday morning as crews work to grind and pave a stretch of Interstate 15, part of the Port of Entry project.

Caltrans and Las Vegas Paving have begun construction on the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Facility near the California-Nevada border, according to California Highway Patrol spokesman Don Spiker.

Spiker said two southbound lanes will be closed Tuesday morning between 7 and 10 a.m., between Nipton and Yates Well roads.

Southbound traffic will be down to just one lane Tuesday, and Spiker is expecting slightly delayed travel times for motorists throughout the month.

"For the rest of this month, motorists will experience some congestion with the closures," Spiker said. "I encourage all drivers to be patient while driving through the construction. Drive safely and be aware of the construction crews. Traffic fines double in construction zones."

Motorists can expect intermittent closures of one lane on I-15 throughout this month. Two lanes will remain open, weather permitting, the release states.

The project is a cooperative effort among Caltrans, the CHP, California Department of Food and Agriculture and the California Department of General Services, Spiker said.

The facility, approximately seven miles south of the state border, will serve incoming traffic from Nevada on southbound I-15 to ensure compliance of commercial vehicles such as tractor-trailers, according to a news release from CHP.

The facility will also help "preserve the integrity of California highways and significantly reduce future maintenance costs to Caltrans, as well as taxpayers," the release states.

Construction of a new agriculture inspection station, set to replace the existing facility on I-15 in Yermo, will begin in 2015, also by Caltrans and Las Vegas Paving, according to the release.